The Ottawa Citizen has a very concise case for killing Yassin. There are two main arguments. The first is that Yassin was a rabid dog that deserved to be put down:
Ahmed Yassin was among the most brazen killers that the modern Middle East has produced, which is quite an achievement when you look at the competition. His hands were stained with the blood of hundreds, and we aren’t referring only to Israeli civilians who died in the Palestinian terror attacks he supervised.
And the second is that taking action didn’t exactly stymie a growing “We Love Israel” movement throughout the world:
Killing Mr. Yassin hasn’t made Israel more vulnerable to attack. For Hamas, the fact of Israel’s existence was always sufficient motive. When Israel elects left-wing governments, Hamas sees it as a sign of weakness and calls for more martyrs. When Israel elects hawkish governments, Hamas sees it as provocation and calls for more martyrs.
The same applies to international opinion. In many quarters, dislike of Israel seems unconnected to any particular policy the Jewish state undertakes. In the 1980s, Israel was condemned for refusing to accept a two-state solution. In the 1990s, after accepting in principle a two-state solution, Israel was condemned for not acquiescing to national suicide and allowing Palestinian refugees to flood Israel proper. Israelis learned long ago that showing restraint in the face of terrorism earns them no favour, either with the United Nations or with the terrorists.
